A Travel & Culture Blog For People Who Hate Tourists

The Cats of Istanbul Have Their Own Documentary, Kedi

There are a lot of cats wondering Istanbul. Not just a few randomly, I’m talking everywhere (in the hundreds of thousands). These aren’t the singing, dancing or talking cats you see in musicals or the movies. They are feral — sometimes cute, sometimes dangerous, but they give an added layer of character to the city.

They will also scare the crap out of you. I was having a rest outside of the Grand Bazaar to look at my guidebook and one brushed up against my leg and I friggin flipped out.

Now they have their own documentary, Kedi (Nine Lives: The Cats of Istanbul), in selected theaters and soon available for download. Film-maker Ceyda Torun follows seven cats through the city and chronicles their daily lives. The cats are adopted by local neighborhoods as a communal cat to make sure their are taken care of and fed.

As you’ll see in the trailer, it’s much more than slow motion footage of cute cats doing cat things. It delves into the symbiotic connection between the animals and the ancient city. It looks like the perfect film to introduce young kids to documentaries and Istanbul.